HiCOPS constructs the parallel database peptide search algorithmic workflow (task-graph) using four Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) Bulk Synchronous Parallel (BSP) [1]} supersteps; where a set of processes (\(p_{i}\ \epsilon \ P\) ) execute (\(\phi \) ) supersteps in asynchronous parallel fashion and synchronize between them. As shown in Fig  REF , HiCOPS allows searching of partial theoretical database, in parallel; something that has not been accomplished in the context of peptide database-search tools. These partial search-results are then merged using a communication-optimal technique.
